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MSP BACKS CALLS FOR POVERTY & INEQUALITY COMMISSION

3M CHILDREN OF WORKING FAMILIES LIVING IN POVERTY

MSP for the Angus South Constituency, Graeme Dey, has backed renewed SNP calls for the establishment of a UK-wide poverty and inequality commission, after new research revealed that nearly 3 million children in working families are living in poverty.

With this figure up by 800,000 since the Tories came into power in 2010, Mr Dey and colleagues say such a commission would combat the impact of a “cruel” austerity agenda.

The research – published by the Trades Union Congress – specifically highlighted how Tory and Lib Dem welfare cuts pushed almost 500,000 children into poverty.

The Scottish Government has set ambitious targets to eradicate child poverty, while investing over £100 million a year to mitigate UK Government austerity policies.

But according to the Resolution Foundation, Tory welfare reforms are set to increase the proportion of children living in poverty to 29% by 2023/24 – with the SNP calling on the next UK government to introduce a package of measures addressing child poverty in particular.

They have said this must include introducing an equivalent to the new Scottish Child Payment – described by charities and campaigners as “game-changing” – and re-establishing UK-wide legal targets for ending child poverty, abolished by the Tories in 2016.

Commenting, Mr Dey said:

“In this research we have yet another exposition of the terrible damage done by the Tories’ callous, ideological cuts to welfare.

“From the punitive two-child cap to the appalling rape clause, to the dangerous regime of sanctions and the disastrous rollout of Universal Credit – the Tories’ have taken a wrecking ball to the social safety net over the past decade.

“With all of this set to be compounded by the impact of Brexit, a UK Poverty and Inequality Commission would be a much-needed check on such socially damaging policies.

“But the Resolution Foundation’s projections for the UK highlight the need for Scotland to have full powers over social security and employment, if we are to build the better future that the SNP Scottish Government is striving towards.”